Electrostatics and Organic Chemical Reactions

Question 1

What two factors must be considered when identifying if a molecule will be reactive or not?

Answer 1

• The first factor to consider is the polarity of the bonds

- The second factor is the strength of the bonds

Question 2

Define electronegativity.

Answer 2

It is defined as a measure of the attraction that an atom has for bonding electrons, usually expressed on a range from 0-4 with the most electronegative element, fluorine, being assigned a value of four.

Question 3

Why is the C-H bond relatively unreactive?

Answer 3

The carbon to hydrogen bond is a strong bond that has a very small electronegativity difference.

Question 4

Why is the C-C also relatively unreactive?

Answer 4

It is non-polar and a strong bond which results in hydrocarbons being unreactive as a whole.

Question 5

What happens when atoms that are bonded have equal electronegativity?

Answer 5

The two electrons the are shared equally between the bonds.

Question 6

What happens when atoms that are bonded have different electronegatively?

Answer 6

The two electrons are not shared equally between the bonds.